Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere GCB
, GCH
, KSI
, PC
(14 November 1773 – 21 February 1865), was a British military leader, diplomat and politician. He was a colonel of the 1st Life Guards
, Commander-in-Chief
, Ireland and served with distinction under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
in the Peninsular War
.
of Combermere Abbey
, Shropshire, and was born on 14 November 1773, at Lleweni Hall
in Denbighshire
. He was educated at Westminster School
, and when only sixteen obtained a second lieutenancy in the 23rd Regiment of Foot. A few years afterwards (1793) he became by purchase a captain in the 6th Dragoon Guards
, and he served in this regiment during the campaigns of the Duke of York
in Flanders. While yet in his twentieth year, he joined the 25th Light Dragoons
(subsequently 22nd) as lieutenant colonel
, and, while in attendance with his regiment on George III
at Weymouth, he was noticed by the king. In 1796 he went with his regiment to India
, taking part en route in the operations in Cape Colony
(July–August 1796), and in 1799 served in the war with Tippoo Sahib
, and at the storming of Seringapatam
(Srirangapatna
). Soon after this, having become heir to the family baronet
cy, he was, at his father's desire, exchanged into a regiment at home, the 16th Light Dragoons
. He was stationed in Ireland during Robert Emmet
's insurrection, became colonel
in 1800, and major general
five years later.
for Newark
. In 1808 he was sent to the seat of war in Portugal
, where he shortly rose to the position of commander of Wellington
's cavalry, and it was here that he most displayed that courage and judgment which won for him his fame as a cavalry officer. He was nicknamed the "Lion d' Or" during his Peninsular War years, because of his fearlessness and the ostentatious splendour of his uniforms and equipment. He succeeded to the baronetcy in 1807, but continued his military career. His share in the Battle of Salamanca
(22 July 1812) was especially marked, and he received the personal thanks of Wellington. The day after, he was accidentally wounded. A painting depicting his acceptance of the French defeat is displayed in the library of Combermere Abbey. He displayed coolness under fire at the Battle of Venta del Pozo
on 23 October 1812, where he led the army's rearguard. He was now a lieutenant general
in the British army and a K.B.
, and on the conclusion of peace (1814) was raised to the peerage under the style of Baron Combermere.
Lord Combermere was not present at Waterloo
, the command, which he expected, and bitterly regretted not receiving, having been given to Lord Uxbridge
. When the latter was wounded Combermere was sent for to take over his command, and he remained in France until the reduction of the allied army of occupation. In 1817 he was appointed governor of Barbados
and commander of the West Indian forces. While serving as Governor of Barbados
, Lord Combermere had the Chase Vault
opened and examined in search of an explanation for the "moving coffins" there.
Between 1814 and 1820, Combermere undertook an extensive remodelling of his home, Combermere Abbey
, including Gothic ornamentation of the Abbot's House and the construction of Wellington's Wing (now demolished) to mark Wellington's visit to the house in 1820.
From 1822 to 1825 Combermere was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland. His career of active service was concluded in India (1826), where he besieged and took Bharatpur
—a fort which twenty-two years previously had defied the genius of Lake
and was deemed impregnable. For this service he was created Viscount Combermere. A long period of peace and honour still remained to him at home. In 1834 he was sworn a privy councillor
, and in 1852 he succeeded Wellington as Constable of the Tower
and Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets. In 1855 he was made a field marshal
and G.C.B.
He died at Clifton on 21 February 1865.
Despite Combermere's distinguished service, much of it under Wellington's command, the Duke is reported to have referred to Combermere as "a damned fool", but at the same time recommending him for command in the East.
An equestrian statue in bronze, the work of Carlo, Baron Marochetti
, was raised in his honour at Chester
by the inhabitants of Cheshire
. An obelisk
was also erected in his memory on the edge of Combermere Park in 1890, under the terms of his widow's will. Combermere was succeeded by his only son, Wellington Henry (1818–1891), and the viscountcy is still held by his descendants.
. They had three children:
On 18 June 1814, he married Caroline Greville (d. 25 January 1837), daughter of Captain William Fulke Greville. They had three children:
In 1838, Combermere married Mary Woolley (née Gibbings), by whom he had no issue.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
, KSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(14 November 1773 – 21 February 1865), was a British military leader, diplomat and politician. He was a colonel of the 1st Life Guards
Life Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
, Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, Ireland and served with distinction under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
.
Early career
He was the second son of Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 5th BaronetSir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 5th Baronet
Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton was an English politician. He was Member of Parliament for Cheshire from 1780 to 1796.He was one of the founders of the Tarporley Hunt Club in 1762.- References:*...
of Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey is a former monastery in Combermere Park, between Nantwich and Whitchurch in Cheshire, England, near the border with Shropshire.-Topomony:...
, Shropshire, and was born on 14 November 1773, at Lleweni Hall
Lleweni Hall
Lleweni Hall was a stately home in Denbighshire, northeast Wales Lleweni Hall (Welsh, Plas Lleweni, sometimes also referred to as Llewenny Palace) was a stately home in Denbighshire, northeast Wales Lleweni Hall (Welsh, Plas Lleweni, sometimes also referred to as Llewenny Palace) was a stately...
in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, and when only sixteen obtained a second lieutenancy in the 23rd Regiment of Foot. A few years afterwards (1793) he became by purchase a captain in the 6th Dragoon Guards
The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards)
The Carabiniers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was descended from the Ninth Horse regiment, raised in response to the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion in 1685, the first year of the reign of King James II. Colonelcy of the Ninth Horse was given to Richard, 2nd Viscount Lumley...
, and he served in this regiment during the campaigns of the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
in Flanders. While yet in his twentieth year, he joined the 25th Light Dragoons
22nd Dragoons
The 22nd Dragoons was the title held by a series of four Cavalry regiments of the British Army raised and disbanded between 1716 and 1945. The last regiment of this name existed during the Second World War, from 1 December 1940 until 30 November 1945....
(subsequently 22nd) as lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, and, while in attendance with his regiment on George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
at Weymouth, he was noticed by the king. In 1796 he went with his regiment to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, taking part en route in the operations in Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
(July–August 1796), and in 1799 served in the war with Tippoo Sahib
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, and at the storming of Seringapatam
Battle of Seringapatam
The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's...
(Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
). Soon after this, having become heir to the family baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy, he was, at his father's desire, exchanged into a regiment at home, the 16th Light Dragoons
16th The Queen's Lancers
The 16th The Queen's Lancers was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 16th/5th Lancers in 1922.-History:...
. He was stationed in Ireland during Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...
's insurrection, became colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1800, and major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
five years later.
Peninsular War
From 1806 to 1814 he was M.P.Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Newark
Newark (UK Parliament constituency)
Newark is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885, it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. In 1808 he was sent to the seat of war in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where he shortly rose to the position of commander of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
's cavalry, and it was here that he most displayed that courage and judgment which won for him his fame as a cavalry officer. He was nicknamed the "Lion d' Or" during his Peninsular War years, because of his fearlessness and the ostentatious splendour of his uniforms and equipment. He succeeded to the baronetcy in 1807, but continued his military career. His share in the Battle of Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
(22 July 1812) was especially marked, and he received the personal thanks of Wellington. The day after, he was accidentally wounded. A painting depicting his acceptance of the French defeat is displayed in the library of Combermere Abbey. He displayed coolness under fire at the Battle of Venta del Pozo
Battle of Venta del Pozo
In the Battle of Venta del Pozo on October 23, 1812, an Anglo-German force led by Major-General Stapleton Cotton fought a rear-guard action against French cavalry under Major-Generals Jean-Baptiste Curto and Pierre Boyer.-Background:...
on 23 October 1812, where he led the army's rearguard. He was now a lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in the British army and a K.B.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and on the conclusion of peace (1814) was raised to the peerage under the style of Baron Combermere.
Later career
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, the command, which he expected, and bitterly regretted not receiving, having been given to Lord Uxbridge
Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey
Field Marshal Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, KG, GCB, GCH, PC , styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as The Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British military leader and politician, now chiefly remembered for leading the charge of the heavy cavalry against...
. When the latter was wounded Combermere was sent for to take over his command, and he remained in France until the reduction of the allied army of occupation. In 1817 he was appointed governor of Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and commander of the West Indian forces. While serving as Governor of Barbados
Colonial heads of the Windward Islands
This is a list of viceroys in the British Windward Islands. The colony of the Windward Islands was created in 1833 and consisted of Grenada, Barbados , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago , St. Lucia , and Dominica . The Governor of Barbados was also the Governor of the Windward Islands,...
, Lord Combermere had the Chase Vault
Chase Vault
The Chase Vault is a burial vault in the cemetery of the Christ Church Parish Church in Oistins, Christ Church, Barbados. It is best known for a widespread but unverified story of "unexplained incidents" in the early 19th century involving the coffins within the vault...
opened and examined in search of an explanation for the "moving coffins" there.
Between 1814 and 1820, Combermere undertook an extensive remodelling of his home, Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey is a former monastery in Combermere Park, between Nantwich and Whitchurch in Cheshire, England, near the border with Shropshire.-Topomony:...
, including Gothic ornamentation of the Abbot's House and the construction of Wellington's Wing (now demolished) to mark Wellington's visit to the house in 1820.
From 1822 to 1825 Combermere was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland. His career of active service was concluded in India (1826), where he besieged and took Bharatpur
Bharatpur, India
Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-planned and well-fortified city, and the capital of Jat kingdom ruled by Sinsinwar Maharajas.The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and...
—a fort which twenty-two years previously had defied the genius of Lake
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake
General Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India.-Background:...
and was deemed impregnable. For this service he was created Viscount Combermere. A long period of peace and honour still remained to him at home. In 1834 he was sworn a privy councillor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, and in 1852 he succeeded Wellington as Constable of the Tower
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
and Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets. In 1855 he was made a field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
and G.C.B.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
He died at Clifton on 21 February 1865.
Despite Combermere's distinguished service, much of it under Wellington's command, the Duke is reported to have referred to Combermere as "a damned fool", but at the same time recommending him for command in the East.
An equestrian statue in bronze, the work of Carlo, Baron Marochetti
Carlo Marochetti
Baron Carlo Marochetti was a sculptor, born in Turin but raised in Paris as a French citizen.-Life:Carlo Marochetti was born on 4 January 1805. His first teachers were François Joseph Bosio and Antoine-Jean Gros in Paris. Here his statue of A Young Girl playing with a Dog won a medal in 1829, and...
, was raised in his honour at Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
by the inhabitants of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. An obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
was also erected in his memory on the edge of Combermere Park in 1890, under the terms of his widow's will. Combermere was succeeded by his only son, Wellington Henry (1818–1891), and the viscountcy is still held by his descendants.
Family
On 1 January 1801, Combermere married Lady Anna Maria Clinton (d. 31 May 1807), daughter of Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-LyneThomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Major-General Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne , known as Lord Thomas Pelham-Clinton until 1779 and as Earl of Lincoln from 1779 to 1794, was a British soldier and politician....
. They had three children:
- Robert Henry Stapleton Cotton (18 January 1802 – 1821)
- two sons, died young.
On 18 June 1814, he married Caroline Greville (d. 25 January 1837), daughter of Captain William Fulke Greville. They had three children:
- Wellington Henry Stapleton-Cotton, 2nd Viscount Combermere (1818–1891)
- Lady Caroline Stapleton-Cotton (b. 1815), married in 1837 Arthur Hill, 4th Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 4th Marquess of DownshireArthur Wills Blundell Sandys Trumbull Windsor Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire KP was an Irish peer, styled Earl of Hillsborough until 1845....
- Lady Meliora Emily Anna Maria Cotton, married on 18 June 1853 John Charles Frederick Hunter
In 1838, Combermere married Mary Woolley (née Gibbings), by whom he had no issue.